In 2017, The Rio Vista Beacon celebrated its 20th anniversary as the “Voice of Rio Vista”. This week the beloved local newspaper hit another milestone, with the launch of the digital edition at www.riovistabeacon.com. The digital edition boasts all the local news in the physical newspaper has, plus, sections on lifestyle, entertainment, real-time traffic (is the bridge up?), and daily weather. Cindy Green, the Editor & Chief of the Beacon since 2010, said “this is an exciting evolution for the Beacon, and a huge thank you to all the loyal readers over the past 23 and don’t worry, the physical newspaper will remain the same!”. Cindy went on to say about her late husband, Harry Green, who founded the newspaper in 1997 that, “Harry, always had wanted a digital version of the Beacon, and we are dedicating the online version in memory of Harry.”.
Since 2010, Cindy Green has managed to keep the Beacon, the “Voice of Rio Vista” going, and is a beloved member of the community. It’s astonishing that as the printed newspaper business has imploded over the last two decades, she has managed to not only keep it alive but expanded the Paper from four pages to 16 pages. Not only that, but the paper remains free. Like any business, the secret is keeping overhead low, and revenues higher. As we all know, it’s easier said than done, but with the help of people who contribute articles, and a steady base of advertisers, and Cindy’s dedication and hard work, the Beacon has survived. Cindy said, she gives thanks Advanced Targeting Agency for building the website for no upfront costs, which is estimated at $20,000 investment.
In concert with the physical Beacon newspaper, the online version will remain free to anyone who wants to get news online or on their smartphone. The online version is 100% advertising-supported, just like the physical paper. “We have banner advertising opportunities, classifieds section, obituaries, and now that that the Beacon is adjudicated, we have full, half, quarter, eighth, and business card size opportunities available,” said Cindy. The adjudication of the paper means that businesses can now run legal notices in the Beacon to satisfy local and state laws. For instance, for a new business to receive a Rio Vista business license, the business must show City Hall proof that they placed a notice in an approved newspaper stating the name of the business to the public, and now, the Rio Vista Beacon is an approved (adjudicated) publication for those type of legal notices to the public.
The Advanced Targeting Agency is a new business in Rio Vista but has 23-years of experience building advertising support and transactional e-commerce websites. Fritz Rollins, the lead website developer for Advanced Targeting Agency said, “advertising-supported and website that allow consumers to pay for goods and services online, in a secure environment, will boost revenues by at least 30% annually.” Fritz says that an e-commerce website is not a cost to a business, but rather a revenue-generating opportunity and hopes to build more of these websites in the future.
As we congratulate Cindy and thank her for keeping a small-town newspaper alive, we also want to thank her for all that she has done for the community. From her impactful work as a member of the Rio Vista Chamber of Commerce to heading up Hot August Bites, she is an unsung hero of Rio Vista. As she progresses, so does the Beacon and stay tuned for more good news in the future.